Chinese firm to test COVID-19 vaccine in teenagers, children on Sep 28

Beijing, Sep 17: Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech is planning to start a clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine with children and adolescents on September 28.

Sinovac has already given its vaccine to about 90 per cent of the company's employees and their families.

As per the company claims, the trial has been approved by the Chinese regulator.

A total of 552 healthy participants aged between three and 17 will take two doses of US-listed Sinovac's CoronaVac in a combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 trial estimated to begin on September 28 in the northern Chinese province of Hebei, according to reports.

China has inoculated at least tens of thousands of its citizens rolling out experimental coronavirus vaccines, attracting international interest in their development, despite expert concerns over the safety of drugs that have not completed standard testing.

As part of that programme, CoronaVac, being tested in final-stage large-scale trials in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey, has already been given to about 90 per cent of the company's employees and their families.

Sinovac said earlier this month CoronaVac appeared to be safe and able to induce antibodies for older people, while the vaccine-generated antibody levels were slightly lower than seen in younger adults, citing preliminary results from an early to mid-stage trial.

Meanwhile, the adverse events that led to a pause in trials evaluating AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine candidate may not have been associated with the vaccine itself, according to a document outlining participant information that was posted online by the Oxford University.